Pre-Law

Students who are interested in attending law school should chose a major based on their interest in the discipline, with a goal to improving their critical reading writing and analytical reasoning skills. Students are encouraged to pursue a highly demanding academic schedule to hone these skills and make them competitive in law school admissions. Although students can major in anything and go to law school, commonly chosen school majors include Political Science, History, Philosophy and Criminal Justice.

Students who think they want to go to law school are encouraged to add Alvernia interdisciplinary Pre-Law minor to their coursework. Many pre-law students pursue a double-major or an additional minor. For qualified students, graduation from the Honors Program also is recommended.

Alvernia also has partnered with Widener University Delaware Law School and the Thomas R. Kline School of Law at Duquesne University to offer special admissions programs for Alvernia undergraduate students. Read more about those partnerships below.

Undergraduate Programs

Program Overview

Where You Can Get A Degree

The Pre-Law program is available at the following Alvernia University campus:

Reading

Application Instructions

Through a rolling admission process, prospective undergraduate students — including first-year, transfer, and international students — may apply via the Alvernia web portal or The Common Application. To learn more about how to complete your application, please visit our application page.

Financing Your Education

There are options to assist in financing your education and making the tuition affordable. Visit our Student Financial Services page for a detailed overview of the process, including a link to complete the FAFSA application, as well as more information about tuition, the tuition payment plan and the tuition deferment program we offer. Alvernia’s Title IV code for the FAFSA is 003233. The Office of Student Financial Services is available to help with any questions you may have. Call 610-796-8201 or email sfs@alvernia.edu.

Curriculum

Minor - Required Courses (18 credits)

PHI 220: Law and Justice
PHI 230: Introduction to Logic
POS 331: Constitutional Law
LIT 200-level or above
POS 101: Introduction to Political Science or POS111 American Democratic Government

Elective Credits (3 credits)

CJ 201: Criminal Law
CJ 207: Rules of Evidence
BUS 342: Business Law
BUS 420: Employment Law
HIS 303: 20th Century World History
HIS 308: American Revolution and Constitution
HIS 322: Early National & Jeffersonian America
HIS 337: Early Modern Europe
HIS 353: The European Century (1763-1914)
HIS 364: America’s Trial: The Depression through the Korean War
HIS 426: Research Seminar
COM 420: Media Law & Ethics
PSY 303: History & Systems in Psychology
PSY 306: Group Dynamics
PHI 332: Minds, Brains and Computers
PHI 351: Ancient Philosophy
PHI 352: Medival Philosphy
PHI 353: Modern Philosphy
PHI 354: Topics in Contemporary Philosophy
PHI 420: Social & Political Philosphy
PHI 440: Great Thinkers
POS 212: Comparative Politics
POS 424: History of Political Thought

Preparing for Law School

According to the American Bar Association, students wishing to attend law school need to develop the following skills:

Analytic and problem-solving skills: Critical thinking, the ability to structure and evaluate arguments, engage in reasoned debate and the ability to develop solutions to complicated problems.
Critical reading abilities: Close reading of complex materials in literature, political or economic history philosophy and history. Ability to read, comprehend, assimilate, and analyze large amounts of material in a short time period.
Writing skills: Rigorous and analytical writing, original pieces of substantial length and revision of written work in response to constructive criticism.
Oral communication and listening abilities: Ability to speak clearly and persuasively engage in debate, make formal presentations, or speak before groups.
General research skills: Significant library research, analysis of large amounts of information.

Recommended courses are upper-level courses with a major research paper required.

Career Outlook

The majority of lawyers work in private and corporate legal offices and have opportunity to work for federal, local and state governments. They typically work full time and often put in more than 40 hours a week.

According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, employment of lawyers is projected to grow 10 percent from 2021 to 2031, faster than the average for all occupations. The median annual wage in 2021 was $127,990.

Extracurricular Activities and Volunteering

The American Bar Association suggest that students develop the ability to organize and manage large tasks, take an active interest in serving others and promoting social justice, and develop knowledge that “helps students derive the maximum benefit from legal education.” There are many activities, clubs, volunteering and leadership opportunities at Alvernia that will fulfill the goals of the American Bar Association in this regard.

Learn more at the website of the American Bar Association.

Law Schools Attended by Recent Alvernia Graduates

Marquette University
Northeastern University
University of Pittsburgh
John Marshall School of Law
University of Delaware
Suffolk University

Pre-Professional Program Advisors

Ondra Kielbasa, Ph.D.
Associate Professor of Biology
610-230-5701
Ondra.kielbasa@alvernia.edu

Eric Recktenwald, Ph. D.
Associate Professor of Biology
610-796-8247
eric.recktenwald@alvernia.edu

Office of Admissions
610.796.8269 | 1.888.ALVERNIA
admissions@alvernia.edu

Cooperative Programs

Alvernia has partnered with Widener University Delaware Law School and the Thomas R. Kline School of Law at Duquesne University to offer special admissions programs for Alvernia undergraduate students.

Delaware Law will offer a minimum $30,000 merit scholarship to all Alvernia students who are admitted through the 3+3 or the Express Admission Program and attend Delaware Law on a full-time basis. This award will be renewable provided the student maintains good academic standing at Delaware Law. The award will be subject to terms and conditions outlined at time of acceptance. All financial aid applications will be handled directly between the student and Delaware Law, who will consider Alvernia students for any need-based financial aid for which they would be normally considered.

Delaware Law and Alvernia 3+3 Early Admission Program

Alvernia University undergraduate students may earn both a bachelor's degree and a juris doctor degree in six years, instead of the usual seven provided they:

Complete all major and core courses requirements at Alvernia and complete 75% of their bachelor's degree's requirements before enrolling in courses at Delaware Law
Earn a cumulative undergraduate GPA of 3.0 or higher through six semesters of undergraduate studies at Alvernia
Achieve an LSAT score that meets or exceeds the media LSAT score of the current Delaware Law first year entering class
Satisfy all law school admissions requirements relating to character and fitness
Submit a completed application to Delaware Law no later than April 1 of the calendar year in which teh student plans to begin legal study

Students admitted to Delaware Law through the 3+3 program must attend on a full-time basis until they have completed their bachelor's degree. At that time, they may elect to continue their legal studies on either a full- or part-time basis. Students in the 3+3 Early Admissions Program will have Delaware Law send an official transcript to Alvernia at the completion of their first year of law school. Alvernia will award the bachelor's degree to students who have successfully completed the first year of law school and completed all major and core requirements at Alvernia.

Delaware Law and Alvernia Express or Guaranteed Admission Program

Express admissions students will be admitted to Delaware Law if they meet the following criteria:

Complete all Alvernia degree requirements at Alvernia before enrolling in courses at Delaware Law
Earn a cumulative undergraduate GPA of 3.0 or higher through time of law school application review
Achieve an LSAT score that meets or exceeds the median LSAT score of the current Delaware Law first year entering class
Satisfy all law school admissions requirements relating to character and fitness
Submit a completed application to Delaware Law no later than April 1 of the calendar year in which the student plans to begin legal study

Thomas R. Kline School of Law at Duquesne University and Alvernia 3/3 Early Admissions Programs

Candidates may apply for admission without a baccalaureate degree through a pre-arranged 3/3 Early Admissions Agreement between Alvernia University and the Thomas R. Kline School of Law at Duquesne University. The 3/3 Early Admissions is a highly selective program that allows outstanding students to earn both bachelor's and J.D. degrees in six years total rather than seven. The student will receive a bachelor's degree after three years of undergraduate work and successful completion of the first year of law school.

Eligibility Requirements:

A minimum cumulative grade point average of 3.5 over three years.
Completion of all undergraduate curricular major field and liberal studies requirements
A minimum LSAT score in at least the 60th percentile (students interested in applying should take the LSAT in the fall or winter of their junior year)
Strong recommendation from Alvernia
A letter of recommendation from the pre-law advisor to the Law School's Office of Admissions
A personal interview with the Assistant Dean of Admissions of the Law School. This interview should be scheduled upon application, after the LSAT is scheduled, but the results of the LSAT need to be available at the time of the interview.

Please contact the Law School Office of Admissions, lawadmissions@duq.edu, for more information.

Contact Information